Page:The Diothas, or, A far look ahead (IA diothasorfarlook01macn).pdf/30

 during our progress along the arcades: none, indeed, but beautiful faces were to be seen. But none had for me such an inexplicable attraction as that of the fair girl now appearing at the entrance.

It was not her mere beauty and grace; though she was surpassingly lovely, and in the first blush of youth. The arrangement of her beautiful hair, of a rich brown, as glossy, and seemingly as soft, as floss silk, indicated a maid still unbetrothed. With a graceful gesture of recognition she smilingly greeted my companion, took a seat beside him, and entered into an animated conversation. From this I gathered that she was a near neighbor of my friend's, and that she had been in the city on a shopping excursion. The result of her visit she carried in a small reticule, and, at my friend's request, produced the article for his inspection. When produced, it proved to be neither dry-goods, jewellery, nor even light literature. It was a piece of mechanism of high finish. In size and weight it might be compared with, say, a navy-revolver, though, of course, differing greatly, both in form and purpose, from that amiable instrument.

How tenderly she handled this strange-looking toy! With what admiration did she regard it, while, almost fondly, she turned it this way and that in her shapely hands! How her dark violet eyes sparkled, while, with youthful animation, she explained some peculiarity or advantage in the mechanism!

From what I could understand, it was some ingenious mechanical contrivance of improved construction, connected with some of the manifold applications of electricity. As for myself, my position did not differ greatly